Mobile refrigerator shipping container unit

ABSTRACT

A mobile refrigerator shipping container unit adapted for both land and sea shipment has both air-cooled and water-cooled condensers in the refrigeration system with connections which can be quick coupled to ship air exhaust and water circulating systems so that when the container is aboard ship it can utilize the ships systems including power and be relieved from operating on its own self-contained power generator which is operated only when external power is not available as during land transportation aboard a truck trailer or railroad car. The unit has other novel features and controls peculiarly adapted for use in such a container unit.

Unlted States Patent [151 3,692,100 Gallagher, Jr. 1 Sept. 19, 1972 [54] MOBILE REFRIGERATOR SHIPPING 3,225,822 12/1965 Westbing ..62/240 CONTAINER UNIT 3,359,752 12/1967 Westbing ..62/240 3,440,834 4/1969 Hirai ..62/240 [72] Inventor: George F. X. Gallagher, Jr., MedfieldMass'MOSZ- r 1,943,317 1/1934 Hulse ..62/236 [73] Assignee: United Brands Company, Boston, Primary Examiner-William J. Wye

Mass. Attorney-R. V. Patrick [22] Filed: July 9, 1971 [57] ABSTRACT [21] PP 161,153 A mobile refrigerator shipping container unit adapted I for both land and sea shipment has both air-cooled [52] 11.8. C1. ..165/29, 62/323, 62/236, and water-cooled condensers in the refrigeration 62/240, 62/208, 62/211, 62/213, 62/228, system with connections which can be quick coupled 165/64 to ship air exhaust and water circulating systems so [51] Int. Cl ..F25b 29/00 that when the container is aboard ship it can utilize [58] Field of Search ..62/323, 236, 240, 208, 211, the ships systems including power and be relieved 62/213, 228; 165/29, 64 from operating on its own self-contained power generator which is operated only when external power [56] References Cited is not available as during land transportation aboard a truck trailer or railroad car. The unit has other novel UNITED STATES PATENTS features and controls peculiarly adapted for use in 2,318,858 5/1943 Hornaday ..62/228 Such acomamerunit- 2,793,834 5/1957 l-lermey ..62/323 2,806,674 9 1957 Biehu ..165/29 a 1 1 D'awmg F'gures 2,887,853 5/1959 Talmey ..62/323 2,984,084 5 l 96l 'lialmeym 262/323 PATENTEDSEP 19 m2 SHEET 1 OF 2 FIG I PATENTEBSEP 19 I972 SHEET 2 [IF 2 RISING FALLING TEMPERATURE F TEMPERATURE HOT GAS OFF HOT GAS ON COMPRESSOR ON FIG 3 This invention relates to a mobile refrigerator shipping container unit adapted for land and sea transportation of perishable products.

The container of this invention is self-contained in the sense that it includes its own power generator and is furnished with powerfrom, or otherwise connected to, external sources only when suitable power or fluid sources are available, as aboard a ship. Therefrigeration system contains both an air-cooled condenser and a water-cooled condenser for selective use of watercooling when water is available as aboard ship or as between containers stowed below the weather deck or lashed above the weather deck where cooler air is available.

The containers refrigerator system has adequate capacity to withdraw field heat from a contained load, as of fresh vegetables or fruits, even though thereafter, itis operated only to hold the produce at a given temperature. Tothis end the power generator has sufficient capacity to provide a rate of air circulation and refrigeration within the container which can accomplish timely extraction of field heat. An advantage of such power generator is that while it is on aproduct holding temperature cycle, it acts as an emergency stand-by powersource for an adjacent container which is also on a hold cycle.

Since replenishment of the circulating refrigerated air may be desired, provision is made for the introduction of outside atmospheric air in controlled quantities continuously or intermittently into the closed air circulation system.

Suitable controls both hand set and automatic are incorporated as will hereinafter be described one feature of the controls being a step thermostat for preventing short cycling of the refrigerator compressor by controlling opening and closing of a hot gas solenoid valve.

and a thermostatic by-pass valve to by-pass from the compressor around the condensers to the evaporator of the refrigerator system.

A typical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded diagrammatic view in cross section of a mobile container unit of the invention in close juxtaposition to certain fixed sources of supply of standard 40 foot X 8 foot X 8% foot size for carriage on a trailer, flat car or stacked with other units in the hold or on deck of a ship. All the mechanism is within the confines of and at one end of the casing.

As indicated in FIG. 1 a cargo of ventilatedboxes are stowed in the cargo compartment 12 which is air tight except for a bottom front air delivery inlet 16 and a top return outlet shown at 18. The bottom of the cargo compartment has a floor design of a known type which forms air .distribution ducts beneath the cargo for .directing circulating air up through the boxes uniformly.

The machinery compartment 14 hasthree chambers, the top:one of which 20 contains two fans 22andi24 (FIG. 2) and an evaporator 26 :of a refrigeration system. Thefans are capable of forming astatic head of a fraction of 1 inch H O to overcome high density product stowage.

Thefan :24 suction chamber has as shown, an inlet 28 leading from theatmospheric air for admitting fresh air to the closed refrigerated airsystem and an outlet duct 30 leads into the central chamber 32 so that vitiated air can be removed from the closed circulating air system and directed downwardly to aid in cooling the condenser 34 ofthe refrigerating system.

The evaporator 26 has a refrigerant return line 36 running to a compressor 38. The refrigerant delivery line 40 of the compressor runs to :theair-cooled condenser 34 and thence tothe water-cooled condenser 42 andthe condensed refrigerant now in liquid formthen runs upwardlythrough a dryer 44, an expansion valve 46 and a heat exchanger 48to the evaporator 26. A bypass line 50runsoff the condenser delivery line 40 to a point beyond the expansion valve-46 and is shown as ineluding a solenoid valve 52 a thermostatic valve 54 and a delivery line 56. A water inlet 60 and a water outlet 62 lead to the exterior of the unit so that with the use of quick connecting couplings the fixed water line 64 and fixed exhaust water line 66 may be quickly connected to the water cooled condenser 42. The inlet and outlet connections are so designed as to be self draining when disconnected, to avoid freezing difficulties should the unit encounter sub-freezing weather.

Similarly the fan 68 which exhausts air, reaching it through side openings 69 (FIG. 2), through the air cooled condenser and out theforward end of the unit, can be connected into the exhaust system of a ship as through a flexible connecting pipe 70.

72 represents an air inlet such as is found between decks in a ship.

An air temperature sensor is shown in the return duct of the refrigerated air system and another sensor 82 is shown in thedelivery duct of thatsystem. These are both connected to a step-thermostat 84 which operates the compressor automatically activated by the set value of the step-thermostat. Above 32 F. the delivery air duct sensor 82 controls and below 32 F. the return air duct sensor 80 controls depending upon whether the cargo requires an average storage temperature or whether, as in the cases of bananas the storage temperature is really critical, i.e., 58 F.

The bottomchamber 86 of the forward compartment contains an internal combustion diesel engine power generator 88, together with an associated fuel tank 89 (FIG. 2). The particular internal combustion engine shown is liquid cooled for which purpose a radiator 90 is exposed to the outside atmosphere and is also provided with a fan (not shown) operated from the diesel engine. 91 indicates electric connections for plugging in an external source of electricity when the diesel is not operating.

In operation then, taking for example a shipment of bananas from the tropics to a cold climate during the winter, the unit is brought by a container chassis hitched to the forward mechanism end of the unit to the banana plantation where the bananas are loaded in boxes and stowed in the cargo compartment in relatively tight relation because the boxes are apertured. Immediately the cargo compartment is sealed, the diesel engine energizes the electric motors of fans 22 and 24 to start air circulation with the air being cooled as soon as the evaporator 26 reaches a temperature lower than that of the return air.

The cargo is thus transported to ship side and if the cargo has reached its holding temperature, it is lowered below decks and may be connected to the ship exhaust air supply 70 and to the ships water supply through the connections 60 and 62 and to the ships electric power system, the diesel engine being stopped. Exhausting the air in the ships air exhaust system is necessary in the case of bananas to prevent accumulation of harmful gases below decks.

The cargo is then brought by ship to temperate climates whereupon the air exhaust system 70 is disconnected as is the water system of the ship, and the container is unloaded, the diesel engine is started and the cargo can then be carried to its destination as on a rail road car or by truck trailer. During all this shipment it is preferred to have the by-pass conduit under automatic control for conducting refrigerant around the air condenser 34 and the water condenser 42 to a point beyond the expansion valve 46 and directly into the heat exchanger 48.

This by-pass is utilized as indicated in FIG. 3. The mechanism has an adjustable set value. As the temperature of the air being delivered to the cargo is sensed by a sensor 100 (FIG. 1) as rising above that set value, the control turns the compressor on as the sensed temperature reaches a half a degree above the set value. Simultaneously, the by-pass is opened to reduce the refrigerating capacity until the temperature has risen another half a degree to one degree above the set value at which time the by-pass is cut out while the compressor remains on. The by-pass will however be reopened as the temperature falls to a half a degree above the set value and before the compressor shuts down and both the by-pass will be closed and the compressor will be shut down as the falling temperature reaches the set value. This feature insures that the compressor will not shoot the temperature down so rapidly that time-wise it is hardly turned on before it is turned off again and vice versa. Electric heaters 92, 93 and 94 are placed in the air return duct to be sequentially energized if the temperature falls below the set value. One segment of heater becomes active at 1 F. below the set value, two segments become active at 2 F. below the set value and three segments become active at 3 F. below the set value, as indicated in FIG. 3.

In some cases, two compressors or multiple compressor cylinders may be used in the refrigerator system with one being cut out before the other on a falling temperature cycle and being cut in before the other on a rising temperature cycle.

What is claimed is: l

l. A mobile refrigerator shipping container unit of regular rectilinear overall shape having within its confines refrigerating means including a water-cooled condenser for refrigerant circulating in said refrigerating means, an air-cooled condenser for said circulating refrigerant, anexpansion valve, a compressor and an evaporator,

a fan for exhausting air from around said air-cooled condenser to extract heat from said refrigerant and discharge the heat-laden air to the outside atmosphere,

inlet and outlet connections on the exterior of said unit for selectively directing a flow of water into and out of said water-cooled condenser to extract heat from said refrigerant and discharge the heatladen water outside said unit,

ducts and fan means for circulating air in a closed system over said evaporator to the bottom of said unit and thence upwardly through said unit and returning to said evaporator,

a vent for admitting air to said closed system ducts,

a vent for bleeding air from said closed system ducts and a single power generator for driving said compressor and said fans.

2. A mobile refrigerator shipping container unit as claimed in claim I having a temperature sensor adjacent the delivery inlet of said closed system ducts and a temperature sensor adjacent the return outlet of said closed system ducts for regulating the operation of said compressor responsive to the temperature sensed by one or the other of said sensors.

3. A mobile refrigerator shipping container unit as claimed in claim 1 having a by-pass conduit for conducting the refrigerant in said refrigerating means around said condensers and said expansion valve, and means for opening said by-pass conduit to bleed refrigerant therethrough responsive to a rise in air temperature, at a given point in said unit, a set number of degrees above a set value and for closing said by-pass conduit responsive to a further rise in said temperature to a fixed higher level and for opening said by-pass conduit as the temperature at said point falls to said set number of degrees and for closing said by-pass when said falling temperature reaches the said set value.

4. A mobile refrigerator shipping container unit as claimed in claim 1 having means for progressively increasing the capacity of said refrigerating means as the temperature at a given point in said unit rises above a set value and for progressively reducing said refrigeration capacity as the temperature at said given point falls to said set value and also having electric heaters in said air circulating system and means for activating said heaters sequentially as the temperature at said given point falls below the set value.

5. A mobile refrigerator shipping container unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein said water-cooled condenser is self-draining when said inlet and outlet connections are disconnected from a source of water supply.

6. A mobile refrigerator shipping container unit of regular rectilinear overall shape having within its confines refrigerating means including a water-cooled condenser for refrigerant circulating in said refrigerating means, an air-cooled condenser for said circulating refrigerant, an expansion valve, a compressor and an evaporator,

an outlet connection on the exterior of said unit and fan for exhausting air from around said air-cooled condenser to extract heat from said refrigerant and discharge said heat-laden air to the outside atmosphere,

inlet and outlet connections on the exterior of said unit for selectively directing a flow of water into and out of said water-cooled condenser to extract heat from said refrigerant and discharge the heatladen water outside said unit,

means by-passing both ofsaid condensers to conduct refrigerant compressed by said compressor around said expansion valve to said evaporator,

duct and fan means for circulating air in a closed system over said evaporator to the bottom of said unit and thence upwardly and returning to said evaporator,

a vent for admitting outside air to said closed system ducts,

a vent for bleeding air from said closed system ducts,

and

a single internal combustion engine power generator,

including a radiator for liquid coolant exposed to the outside atmosphere, for driving said compressor and said fans.

7. A mobile, refrigerator shipping container unit as claimed in claim 6 wherein said outlet connection for exhausting air from around said air cooled condenser and said inlet and outlet connections on the exterior of said unit for directing water flow are all on one end of said container unit.

8. A mobile refrigerator shipping container unit of regular rectilinear overall shape having within its confines refrigerating means including a water-cooled condenser for refrigerant circulating in said refrigerating means, an air-cooled condenser for said circulating refrigerant, an expansion valve, a compressor and an evaporator,

a condenser fan for exhausting air from around said air cooled condenser to extract heat from said refrigerant and discharge the heat-laden air to the outside atmosphere,

inlet and outlet connections on the exterior of said unit for selectively directing a flow of water into and out of said water-cooled condenser to extract heat from said refrigerant and discharge the heatladen water outside said unit,

ducts and fan means, with a positive static head pressure for circulating air in a closed system over said evaporator to the bottom of said unit and thence upwardly through said unit and returning to said evaporator,

a two speed fan motor to minimize the energy required on shipboard a vent for admitting a controlled quantity of fresh air to said closed system ducts a vent for bleeding a controlled quantity of vitiated air from said closed system ducts a single power generator for driving said compressor and said fans. 

1. A mobile refrigerator shipping container unit of regular rectilinear overall shape having within its confines refrigerating means including a water-cooled condenser for refrigerant circulating in said refrigerating means, an aircooled condenser for said circulating refrigerant, an expansion valve, a compressor and an evaporator, a fan for exhausting air from around said air-cooled condenser to extract heat from said refrigerant and discharge the heatladen air to the outside atmosphere, inlet and outlet connections on the exterior of said unit for selectively directing a flow of water into and out of said water-cooled condenser to extract heat from said refrigerant and discharge the heat-laden water outside said unit, ducts and fan means for circulating air in a closed system over said evaporator to the bottom of said unit and thence upwardly through said unit and returning to said evaporator, a vent for admitting air to said closed syStem ducts, a vent for bleeding air from said closed system ducts and a single power generator for driving said compressor and said fans.
 2. A mobile refrigerator shipping container unit as claimed in claim 1 having a temperature sensor adjacent the delivery inlet of said closed system ducts and a temperature sensor adjacent the return outlet of said closed system ducts for regulating the operation of said compressor responsive to the temperature sensed by one or the other of said sensors.
 3. A mobile refrigerator shipping container unit as claimed in claim 1 having a by-pass conduit for conducting the refrigerant in said refrigerating means around said condensers and said expansion valve, and means for opening said by-pass conduit to bleed refrigerant therethrough responsive to a rise in air temperature, at a given point in said unit, a set number of degrees above a set value and for closing said by-pass conduit responsive to a further rise in said temperature to a fixed higher level and for opening said by-pass conduit as the temperature at said point falls to said set number of degrees and for closing said by-pass when said falling temperature reaches the said set value.
 4. A mobile refrigerator shipping container unit as claimed in claim 1 having means for progressively increasing the capacity of said refrigerating means as the temperature at a given point in said unit rises above a set value and for progressively reducing said refrigeration capacity as the temperature at said given point falls to said set value and also having electric heaters in said air circulating system and means for activating said heaters sequentially as the temperature at said given point falls below the set value.
 5. A mobile refrigerator shipping container unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein said water-cooled condenser is self-draining when said inlet and outlet connections are disconnected from a source of water supply.
 6. A mobile refrigerator shipping container unit of regular rectilinear overall shape having within its confines refrigerating means including a water-cooled condenser for refrigerant circulating in said refrigerating means, an air-cooled condenser for said circulating refrigerant, an expansion valve, a compressor and an evaporator, an outlet connection on the exterior of said unit and fan for exhausting air from around said air-cooled condenser to extract heat from said refrigerant and discharge said heat-laden air to the outside atmosphere, inlet and outlet connections on the exterior of said unit for selectively directing a flow of water into and out of said water-cooled condenser to extract heat from said refrigerant and discharge the heat-laden water outside said unit, means by-passing both of said condensers to conduct refrigerant compressed by said compressor around said expansion valve to said evaporator, duct and fan means for circulating air in a closed system over said evaporator to the bottom of said unit and thence upwardly and returning to said evaporator, a vent for admitting outside air to said closed system ducts, a vent for bleeding air from said closed system ducts, and a single internal combustion engine power generator, including a radiator for liquid coolant exposed to the outside atmosphere, for driving said compressor and said fans.
 7. A mobile refrigerator shipping container unit as claimed in claim 6 wherein said outlet connection for exhausting air from around said air cooled condenser and said inlet and outlet connections on the exterior of said unit for directing water flow are all on one end of said container unit.
 8. A mobile refrigerator shipping container unit of regular rectilinear overall shape having within its confines refrigerating means including a water-cooled condenser for refrigerant circulating in said refrigerating means, an air-cooled condenser for said circulating refrigerant, an expansion valve, a compressor and an evaporator, a condenser fan for exhaustIng air from around said air cooled condenser to extract heat from said refrigerant and discharge the heat-laden air to the outside atmosphere, inlet and outlet connections on the exterior of said unit for selectively directing a flow of water into and out of said water-cooled condenser to extract heat from said refrigerant and discharge the heat-laden water outside said unit, ducts and fan means, with a positive static head pressure for circulating air in a closed system over said evaporator to the bottom of said unit and thence upwardly through said unit and returning to said evaporator, a two speed fan motor to minimize the energy required on shipboard a vent for admitting a controlled quantity of fresh air to said closed system ducts a vent for bleeding a controlled quantity of vitiated air from said closed system ducts a single power generator for driving said compressor and said fans. 